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Belfast bakery refuses to bake cake with message supporting gay marriage on it
Semillion
Posts: 612 Forum Member
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Gay man places order of a cake with a bakery decorated as Bert and Ernie with the inscription 'support gay marriage' on it. Christian bakery owner refuses to fill the order. Equality commission now threatening legal action unless bakery accepts the order.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/ashers-baking-company-faces-court-for-refusing-order-for-gay-marriage-cake-30412923.html
I don't oppose gay marriage but I support people to have their own views about what is acceptable or offensive to them. I could not demand a halal bakery supply me with bacon for reasons of belief.
The gay lobby can be a petulant lot at times. Tolerance works both ways guys.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/ashers-baking-company-faces-court-for-refusing-order-for-gay-marriage-cake-30412923.html
I don't oppose gay marriage but I support people to have their own views about what is acceptable or offensive to them. I could not demand a halal bakery supply me with bacon for reasons of belief.
The gay lobby can be a petulant lot at times. Tolerance works both ways guys.
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And how exactly is the baker showing tolerance?
Considering most bakeries don't generally sell meat you'd be hard pushed to get one whether halal or not to supply you with bacon.
As the other poster said - how is this baker showing tolerance?
Where shops and services are concerned it's a slightly grey area. I don't think they should refuse to sell items to people but I do think the baker should have the right to refuse to write certain messages on their products. It's their product and it advertises their company so I think they should have the right to determine what it looks like. Call it 'editorial policy'
Discrimination on the grounds of sexuality is considered polite now is it?
The baker was not asked to endorse the message but simply to do a job.
Provided they don't discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, sexuality etc.
His bakery, his rules. If he didnt want to do the job, then he should have the right to refuse. The baker is the one who has invested his time and money into the bakery, if it fails he will lose money. He should have the right to sell his wares to whom ever he chooses.
If he wants to discriminate on the grounds of sexuality, race, religion etc then that should be his choice. His bakery his rules.
That isn't what the law says though.
That's not what they ruled in the U.S. Interesting to see what happens here with this one, if it goes that far.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24672077/judge-orders-colorado-cake-maker-must-serve-gay-couples
The law should be changed. If its a government funded business, then fair enough. However if a private individual put up his own money to start a business, and gets no government grants, then he should be able to sell to whom ever they please.
I thought this was free country.
It is a free country, as long as you follow the law.
So you would think it was perfectly acceptable for a shop to refuse service to someone because they were black for example? That would be ok in your book? Or perhaps refusing service to someone because they were in a wheelchair? That's acceptable too in your world is it?
I think the point was he isn't, but then neither is the other chap.
Edit - Just to add, I don't think the baker is right in his views. I always find these things a bit tricky, because I am not homophobic, and don't like homophobia, but, like it or not some are and do. They are entitled to their views. Is what this baker did legal? I think if that happened to me, I would probably go to another bakery
That's quite the slippery slope your advocating.
Unless the customer walked in to the bakery and made it clear that he was gay, there's no discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, and even if he did, he can't claim it. Had he asked for a cake with a picture of two men on it, a big phallus, and the slogan "suck my cock", would your views be the same?
The logo which he asked to have put on the cake was that of a political pressure group which campaigns for something which is currently illegal in Northern Ireland. The bakery is under no legal obligation to promote political and or illegal activity.
Welcome to the world as run by homosexuals, where they get everything they want at the expense of everyone else.
I dont thinks its acceptable - I never said it was, so dont twist what I say, just to make a point. However as I have said their money their time their business. They should have the choice on whom they wish to serve. Is that really a difficult concept to understand?
Are you ready for all the responses you're about to get? :kitty:
also, the imagery of bert and ernie is most likely covered by copyright.
thus, unless the baker or the buyer has the permission to use the bert and ernie imagery then it should be refused on copyright grounds.
If you go in to Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, in fact any shop you like, they're within their legal rights not to serve you or ban you from the premises for any reason they like.
I understand what you have typed but do not agree. Legislation needs to be in place to ensure people have equal access to goods and services and are not discriminated against for things that are just part of them - race, gender, sexuality, disability etc.
Refusing service to someone who is visibly drunk in a pub is acceptable because the person can avoid being drunk in order to still be served.
Someone who is black cannot avoid being black, just like someone who is gay cannot avoid being gay.
And they said they could not fulfil the order because of their beliefs and gave them a refund , yes they were misguided but no need to potentially ruin someone's livelihood over it , speaking as a gay person I am getting a bit tired of this sort of thing
I do wonder if QueerSpace has been getting cakes made by all Belfast bakers or did they specifically pick on Ashers as they are Christian - discrimination by them too?;-)